Steve 1

Here you go Tom They need some of your personal Pot stash.

Pro-Palestinian youths clashed with riot police in the heart of Amsterdam on Saturday after a 10,000-strong demonstration against the Israeli army's offensive in the West Bank turned violent.

Steve 1

Tom this Guy needs a pair of your Sandals

AMSTERDAM - Intelligence services have got strong leads that Richard Reid, the man that tried to blow up a plane with a shoe-bomb, was a test person from an organization that is plotting much larger terrorist attacks. His exploding sneakers were handed to Reid in Amsterdam.

Steve 1

Here you go Tom

Amsterdam your utopia;

Income tax - 50% - 60% brackets for the wealthiest, 33.9%-37.95% for the poorest (SS tax included) The more wealthy pay an ADDITIONAL SS tax!

Salary tax - whatever that is, in addition to income and SS

WEALTH tax - .7% of your NET WEALTH, every year


Corporations - 25% on dividends to govt PRIOR to distribution

Corporations - 30%-35% of profit

Inheritance taxes in a graduated scale

Games of Chance - 25% OFF THE TOP

Value Added (VAT) Sales Tax - 17.5% (6% food/medicine)

Excise taxes on gasoline, tobacco and alcohol

Transfer Tax - 6% of market value WHEN REAL PROPERTY CHANGES HANDS

Capital invested in a company - .9% Tax

Car/Motorcycle Purchases - 10% of value

Motor vehicle tax, heavy vehicle tax and Environmental Taxes, plus local taxes!!!

Steve 1

Tom here is a side note from someone who lived there!

I lived there for about three years. My impression was, about 60 percent of the country is on the dole ("uitkering"), supported by a heavily-taxed 40 percent. Tax fraud is about the only offense that is considered truly heinous there (well, that and speaking negatively about the gay and lesbian lifestyle).

A murderer might get five years in the pokey, but tax cheat could get ten. Automobiles are obscenely expensive to own and operate so most of the Dutch ride bicycles. Holland reminds me of nothing so much as an upscale Cuba.

Steve 1

Tom more of your wonderland!

Everyone there is "the same." They do have an excellent educational system, from reports, but it so socialistic that the life style of a doctor or engineer is not that much different than the plumber. Talk about the ultimate results of "school to work" programs!

Steve 1

There has been a true epidemic of stabbings in Amsterdam this year. April was an especially bad month according to the police.

The police spokesman admitted in the same breath that last year's major campaign to turn in knives and other weapons did not reach the aggressive types as had been envisioned.

Particularly those who pull a knife at the least provocation are the least impressed by any form of protest against street violence.

Unfortunately, this last realization should not be too surprising. Only the most unusually optimistic person would have expected last year that hard core violent perpetrators would embrace the opportunity to surrender their weapons during the amnesty period.

But this realization does not help make the increase in violence in the city of Amsterdam any less ominous.

It is sad that current initiatives such as knife prohibition in several neighborhoods have not had anywhere near the desired effect.

There is only one thing to do: knife prohibition must be extended to the entire city.

It is now up to the politicians to allocate additional funds for maintaining the safety to which every citizen has a right.

Steve 1

Amsterdam Knife Bans What next??

Let's see the order would follow these rules

1.Gun Bans
2.Knife Bans
3.Rock Bans
4.Wood Bans

Oop's forgot Ice Picks !! a Locking Cork on the pointed end would make that ok.

You could eat with a fork and spoon untill they Banned them I guess.

The Cook would have to precut your Meat after permission was granted with his Registered Numbered Knife then return it to the Dutch Knife Safe.

Steve 1

Tom again I ask in the most humble way what the hell are you talking about ?????????

<-------------------------------------------------------------------------------->
Never read a painting, but while on acid I thought I could taste "Inna Gadda Da Vita" by Iron Butterfly (is that who played it?)

I had sex once with a woman who claimed to be an ambassador from Japan. She even paid for the hotel and gave me $200.00. Only conversation was 'wow your such a big american" and 'give me more, i can take it." Everything else was in Japanese and I didn't understand any of it, but imagine it had something to do with her religion. (Must have been the same for you with the Iraqees, what with your head under the robes and all.) I didn't let it go to my head though because you have to consider the source. Some stereotypes are true you know. Learned a lot about liberal diplomacy. Did you know they sell tiny condoms labelled large in Japan?
<-------------------------------------------------------------------------------->
Ok I will Decode it!

A lot of Bad Acid huh Tom!!

Tom the Head under Robe Thing would be your forte, Deemed Perfectly normal In the Liberal Transsexual World!

You must have had a very Small Japanese Woman or a Schoolgirl is that point you were trying to make?

dutchman

DONT WE READ ENOUGH ABOUT AL QUEDA IN THE LOCAL NEWS WHY SHOULD WE HAVE TO READ IT IN THE BOATING FORUM.

Tom

Doesn't anybody have a sense of humor? I hope at least some lurkers get my jokes.

Never read a painting, but while on acid I thought I could taste "Inna Gadda Da Vita" by Iron Butterfly (is that who played it?)

This was an obscure joking reference to your own dictionary and misuse of the language. Unless you are more sophisticated than you seem, you view or see a painting, not read it. In mind research they call it synthesthesia when you experience something with a sense that was meant for other uses. The movie "Fantasia" was based on it as well as the one called "Altered States." I know some of the researchers mentioned in "Altered States" and it is amazing research. Yes LSD and advanced stages of meditation do help people to experience it.

I had sex once with a woman who claimed to be an ambassador from Japan. She even paid for the hotel and gave me $200.00. Only conversation was 'wow your such a big american" and 'give me more, i can take it." Everything else was in Japanese and I didn't understand any of it, but imagine it had something to do with her religion. (Must have been the same for you with the Iraqees, what with your head under the robes and all.) I didn't let it go to my head though because you have to consider the source. Some stereotypes are true you know. Learned a lot about liberal diplomacy. Did you know they sell tiny condoms labelled large in Japan? As a general stereotype, black guys are better hung than whites, so either get a bigger boat or one of those pumps if you think size means anything.

I was cracking up when I wrote this. Translation as an answer to your statement about dining with Ambassadors:
Big Friggen deal, so you had dinner with one or more. We all have had experiences that could have helped us to learn something and with foriegn languages and cultures it is hard to fully understand it all. I did have such experience and it does not make me an expert on what is happening in the world any more than your dinner with an Ambassador when most the time you have your head up your arse with your own dictionary and prejudice. (Amazing how you actually got the reference of the robes. )Even if you are an expert that does not make everyone who does not agree evil, stupid, etc. The tiny condom thing is a reference to the fact that sometimes stereotypes are true.

Dutchman:
I thought you were coming on to defend your homeland. Al Queda has not been mentioned on this thread for a long time. If you do not find this entertaining and hate the fact that now you keep getting email about it, go to your user control panel and unsubscribe from the thread. Maybe we can enjoy some boating discussions together on another thread.

Allan4:
Great to see you see learning value in this thread, me too. I finally made a breakthrough from what Donzi has mentioned several times and will post a rough draft of my thoughts when I get a chance.


I strongly encourage everyone to go up to a stranger and tell them you are interested in learning more about their culture and beliefs. Tell them you feel if we all understood each other better the world would be a better place. Ask them anything you want, but no matter what they say DO NOT challenge them as an attempt to prove your point of view. The only thing you will learn by challenging them is how to alienate a potential friend. I gaurantee it will change your life forever and make the world an incredibly interesting place in spite of all that is wrong with it. You will find that if you are loving and considerate in your asking then you can soon ask them anything and they will give you the inside scoop. Remember - the objective is NOT to prove your point of view, but to learn about theirs. I have done this all over the world, but opportunities are right in your own town. You will soon know more than any world traveller who hangs out in the American majority hotel bashing the natives.